Being healthy and fit does not only refer to having a strong and conditioned body. Our mind needs to be sharp, healthy, and functioning, too.
Brain health is an essential aspect of your overall health and well-being. It is responsible for effective communication, making sound decisions, solving problems, and enabling you to live a happy and productive life. As the brain controls most of our body functions, it is a valuable organ that we need to protect, develop, and enhance, keeping it healthy and fit at all times.
4 Ways to Keep Your Mind Healthy and Fit
As we grow older, our brain’s functions gradually diminish. However, there are plenty of things you can do the keep your brain active, slowing down memory decline and lowering any risk of developing dementia or memory loss. Below are five simple but effective ways how you can keep your mind healthy and fit.
1. Stay mentally active.
Similar to muscles, your brain needs to work regularly, or you will lose its functions. So challenge your mind every chance you get. This can be done in many different ways, like solving puzzles, painting, doing arts and crafts, engaging in DIY projects, trying out new cooking recipes, reading, writing a book, and many more. The key is to not let your mind stagnate. Consider these activities as cross-training your brain so it stays active and functioning. Try to incorporate different types of activities to boost productivity and effectiveness.
2. Exercise and eat a healthy diet.
You may think that exercising and eating a healthy diet can only benefit your body. But the truth is, they also help enhance your brain power and functions. Exercising increases blood flow to the brain, keeping it sharp and active. Studies show that physically active individuals are less likely to experience memory decline and have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Additionally, diet plays a vital role in achieving brain health. Choose foods that are known to improve your brainpower and keep you mentally alert and sharp. A healthy diet plan includes lots of vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains. Proteins should come from fish and plant sources. Choose healthy fats over saturated fats, including olive oil, canola oil, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish.
3. Get plenty of sleep.
Sleep is essential to brain health. Getting complete rest every night allows your brain to recharge and recover from the previous day’s work. Research shows that inadequate sleep can cause slower thinking and a higher risk for dementia. Thus, aim to get seven to nine hours of continuous sleep every night so that you can also wake up ready and motivated to start another day.
4. Communicate and be social.
When you talk and socialize with people, it encourages your mind to listen, think, react, and communicate appropriately about the subject being discussed. Thus, communicating and socializing also help boost your cognitive ability.
If you feel anxious or nervous talking to people because of fear of not being able to contribute to the discussion, another brain exercise you can engage in is reading. When you read books, newspapers, magazines, and online articles, it doesn’t only exercise your brain and improves your memory but also allows you to be confident and knowledgeable in sharing information with other people.
Brain Health is Essential to Overall Health
Because our brain is responsible for many important functions in our body, we must take care of it and keep it healthy and fit. By following the brain health tips discussed above, you are not only maximizing your potential but also protecting yourself from experiencing memory decline or complete memory loss in the future.
So just as you are exercising your body to become physically fit, make sure to exercise your brain, so you can be mentally healthy, active, and fit, too.
by Bobby J Davidson
I love our companies and we love what we do. For more information on the Davidson Family of Companies, visit www.bobbydavidson.com/about. Sign up for my Newsletter at the bottom of this page.